Danny Castellano Is My Friend
by tvnut014
Summary: Because Danny is such a good friend, he has to support Mindy's decisions right? No matter what, or who, they are. Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

Mindy was glued to her phone as she walked into the elevator to head up to the office of Shulman & Associates.

"Four, please," she mumbled to the person standing beside her. She watched a red bird hurdle across the screen into a precariously stacked tower of wood and stone. "Die, you stupid green pig."

"You know, if you released the slingshot at a forty-five degree angle, it would give you more velocity," a calm, smooth voice said.

"Thanks," she said absently. Another red bird hopped into the slingshot. She fired and the entire structure came crumbling down. "Yes! Serves you right for stealing my eggs, you pieces of pork."

"Thanks again-" she looked up. "Brendan?"

"Mindy," the midwife nodded. The elevator doors closed.

She sighed. "Great."

"I've been meaning to speak with you," he said. "The last time I saw you, you were at Danny's art show. How are things with you and Jason?"

"It was Danny's ex-wife's show, if you could even call it art. Jason and I broke up shortly after, not that it's any of your business."

"There's no need to be hostile," Brendan said. He looked over at her. "I thought you weren't angry with me anymore, that's why you invited Duncan and I to your _Bon Voyage_ party."

"I invited you because I wanted to prove to you that I had moved on," she said. "You're still the jerk that went out with another girl while you were using me."

"We had established that there wasn't going to be any romantic feelings attached to our arrangement-"

"I don't want to hear it, Deslaurier," Mindy held up a hand. "I just want to finish this elevator ride in silence."

Brendan raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

They had almost reached the fourth floor when the elevator jerked and came to a halt.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me," Mindy groaned.

* * *

Mindy and Brendan were sitting against the back wall of the elevator, legs sprawled out in front of them.

"-And so when you said that you could never own a poisonous pet, you probably should have said 'venomous.' Poison would affect you if you consumed it; venom if the animal bit you."

Mindy blinked. "When did you say the maintenance guy was going to get here?"

Brendan checked his watch. "It'll be another hour."

"I can't believe this, I am literally half a floor away from the office. It's a good thing I texted Betsy to get Danny to look after my patients. I thought we'd be out sooner than this."

Mindy's phone chimed. It was a text from Danny.

_Just finished with a patient. Betsy told me you were stuck in the elevator. _

_We should be out of this metal box in about an hour. Can you look after my 10 a.m.?_

_Sure... We?_

Mindy hesitated.

_Brendan Deslaurier's stuck here too. _

The typing icon appeared and disappeared several times. Finally, the message appeared.

_Sounds awful. Are you ok?_

_I'm fine. He's unbearable as always but I'll make it. Thanks for covering for me._

_No problem._

"Texting Danny?" Brendan asked.

Mindy slid her phone into her pocket. "Yeah, just reminding him when my patient was coming in."

"So how are things with you and Danny?"

"Good, great even," she said. "He's beginning to let me convince him to buy things out of the lookbook I made for him. He still refuses to get a vest, even though I think it would-"

"I mean, are you two-"

"No, we're just friends," Mindy was puzzled. "Why do you ask?"

Brendan shifted on the floor so he was facing her, legs crossed, shoulders square. "Back when we had our arrangement, I never thought that what we had was going to be anything more. You weren't my type at all. You consume aspartame every day, you rarely go to the gym, you perpetuate the worst kind of childbirth practices known to man."

Mindy wasn't impressed. "Are you going somewhere with this?"

"So when I started getting feelings for you, I panicked," he said. "I started asking out other girls. I texted you less. I took Za to the movies and that's when you saw me.

"After your birthday, I hadn't seen you in awhile so I went to talk to you at the triathlon, but then you and Casey got back together and I never really got a chance..." he trailed off.

"A chance to what?" she asked.

"A chance to tell you I care about you, Mindy. A lot."

Mindy was stunned. "You care about me?"

"I would completely understand if you said no, but I was hoping you could give me a second chance? Could we try again?"

Mindy looked at him. He was sincere. He had dropped that usual superior-than-thou attitude and was looking right back at her. Mindy could see a glimpse of that nervous boy in the commercial all those years ago.

* * *

"What do you mean you're with Brendan Deslaurier again?" Danny couldn't hide the contempt in his voice. "You were in that elevator for a total of ninety minutes."

Danny was sitting at his desk, paperwork spread across the surface. The pen in his hand twitched. He glared at his co-worker sitting across from him.

"It's different this time, Danny," Mindy answered defensively. "And we're dating, I'm not _with _him."

"Right, because not being treated properly once by this guy just wasn't good enough."

Mindy crossed her arms. "He's not such a bad guy. You even said you liked him at that triathlon last year."

"That was when he finally revealed he isn't always so high and mighty and it's all an act. Since then he's been even more diligent on finding stuff to throw in our faces, like some stupid article to about 'how western medicine is poisoning us' or some other crap like that."

"He saved Morgan's life," she said.

"Morgan's life is saved on a daily basis. Deslaurier is a quack that tried to take down our practice."

Mindy sighed. "Look, I wanted to tell you that I'm seeing him because you and I are friends, Danny," she got up from the chair. "I talk to my friends about what's going on in my life. I'm sorry I said anything."

She left his office. A few moments later, Danny heard another door close.

He sighed.

When Mindy looked up from her own paperwork, she found Danny leaning in her doorway.

"If you're going out with Deslaurier, then fine," he said. "Do what you think is going to make you happy. Just remember that there's nothing that's going to make me like the guy."

"But if I ever need someone to talk to, I can go to you?" Mindy asked.

"Of course you can talk to me," he said.

Mindy smiled. "Thanks, Danny.

"It's not like I have much of a choice the way you barge into my office," Danny ducked out of the room as a highlighter flew past him.


	2. Chapter 2

They were sitting beside each other on the couch in the doctor's lounge. Mindy was perched on the seat cushion, her legs curled beneath her as she looked up at the television in the corner of the room. Danny was concentrated on the business section of the newspaper.

"I don't understand how you're not watching this, Danny. She had morning sickness throughout her first trimester, how did she not know?" Mindy gestured to the screen. "Who the hell is her gynecologist?"

"Mmm hmm," Danny mumbled.

She nudged him. He still didn't look up.

"Just what's so fascinating about the paper today? You usually love talking about how all the signs of pregnancy were right in front of their faces."

Danny shrugged and began to fold the paper. "Look, I just wanted to see what the stocks were-"

He paused. Mindy was much too close. She had her elbow propped up on the back of the couch, her hand buried in her hair. She smelled good, which was impossible because it was late and there's no way someone could smell like that after a delivery-

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he cleared his throat and set the paper on the coffee table. "I'll watch with you."

But instead of the TV, he turned his gaze to Mindy. She pushed her glasses up a little higher as her mouth dropped in awe of the events unfolding on screen.

"Danny, can you believe this?" She looked down to find him staring at her.

"No, not really," he said.

"You aren't even-"

"I've wanted to do something for a long time," Danny's voice was low. "Ever since before Haiti, but I waited too long then. I'm tired of waiting, Min."

He placed a hand behind her neck and eliminated whatever distance remained between them.

* * *

Mindy let out a moan as they stepped into her apartment. Legs tangled, lips crashed together. He slammed the door closed and backed her up against the wall.

She ran a hand up his chest, her fingers playing with his hair at the nape of his neck. She kicked off her heels.

"I think I lost a bit of leverage, can you-" she said. He picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist. He carried her into the bedroom.

He set her down and placed his hands on the bed, caging her body with his own. She shifted backward, leading him to the centre of the mattress with a series of kisses.

Mindy reached behind her, tugging at the zipper of her dress. He slid the strap of the little black number down her shoulder, kissing her exposed skin.

She lifted her arms up, he obliged by pulling the dress over her head. His lips met her collarbone.

She arched her back, lifting herself toward him. "Please, Brendan," she gasped.

* * *

Danny's eyes snapped open. He breathed heavily as he looked around and found himself in his room, in his bed, with his sheets tangled around his legs.

It was a dream. He had only dreamed about getting a second chance and kissing Mindy in the doctor's lounge. Come to think of it, he couldn't remember how they had ended up in the lounge in the first place.

But then that dream turned into a nightmare and he had witnessed it all. Brendan had pressed her against the wall. It was the midwife who carried her to the bedroom. Deslaurier was the one who took off her dress.

Danny squeezed his eyes shut, attempting to erase the imagery from his mind. But his subconscious had dredged up the worst-case scenario and forced him to watch, the whole experience lingered.

Danny felt sick. He looked at the digital clock sitting on his bedside table. It was 4 a.m. There was no way he was going to sleep after that.

* * *

_Author's note: That wasn't where I was wanting it to go either, believe me. But you gotta go where those plot bunnies take you. This chapter was inspired by The Killer's Mr. Brightside. _

_Let me know what you think about Danny's dream/nightmare. _


	3. Chapter 3

Danny shook his head as he stepped into the elevator to head up to the office. His workout had done little to rid his mind of the nightmare. Now he was just tired and nauseous.

"Hold the doors," a hand shot out to prevent them from sliding shut. Brendan Deslaurier rounded the corner.

_You've got to be kidding me, _Danny thought.

"Danny," Brendan nodded as he stepped inside.

"Deslaurier," Danny said, not trying to hide the contempt in his voice.

_Ding. _The doors slid shut.

"Judging from the tone of your voice, you must know that Mindy and I are together again."

Danny continued to stare straight ahead.

"Mindy told me last night that you and she are officially friends now," Brendan began.

"I don't want to hear any of it, Deslaurier," Danny snapped. "Mindy and I are friends but that doesn't mean I want to hear about how your date went."

_Especially, not from you. _"We're not that close," he added.

"Strange," Brendan's voice lilted in an infuriatingly calm way. "Mindy said that you two were so close she could share anything with you. It would appear that clothes just provide you with more of an opportunity to hide things from those who feel closest to you."

"Listen up, midwife," Danny turned to the taller man. "I'm not in a great mood today, and the last thing I want to be reminded of is the fact that the entirety of the Village committed my genitals to memory."

Brendan paused. "I'm sorry, Danny."

"And another thing-" Danny said. "Wait, what?"

"I'm sorry I antagonized you and brought up your wife's art gallery. Although, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"Ex-wife," Danny corrected. "And... thanks?"

"You and Mindy do seem like you're on better terms compared to before she left for Haiti," Brendan said.

"Yeah... what are you getting at?" Danny said.

"Well, I'm sure she's told you that I had asked her to give me another chance."

Mindy had mentioned nothing about how it had happened, just that she was going out with the jerk again.

"I don't want to mess it up a second time," Brendan looked sincere. "And since you two are friends..."

Danny paused. This would be the perfect time to completely sabotage whatever chance this jerk had with Mindy.

"Treat her with respect, don't make her feel like an idiot," he said simply. "And remember, she's out of your league," Danny added in what he hoped was a slightly threatening way.

_Ding. _The doors opened and Danny left without another word to the other man.

"Thanks, Danny," Brendan called after him.

Danny slowly let out air in frustration as he contemplated using the stairs from now on. He was really beginning to hate the elevator.

* * *

_First of all, thanks you guys for the fantastic reviews. I've done horribly in keeping this updated. This was a short one as 2 a.m. is not being kind to me. _

_And I have an idea as to where to take this next. _


End file.
